Tangents and Vectors

An Idea Borrowed

Years ago on a radio program someone shared that they read a chapter in Proverbs every day. Since there are 31 chapters and the longest month has 31 days it allows you to read through Proverbs on a regular basis. I use it as the launch pad for my personal worship time and branch out from there. On this blog I will try to share some of the insights I have in the Word. I will try to organize them in the archive by reference.

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Involving Trees in Worship

(Proverbs 8:31 KJV) Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.

Christians are to have a different attitude toward the natural world around us. Pagans tend to deify nature. Some versions have spirits, demons and little gods located in each tree and rock. You might not cut down certain types of trees because the tree gods would be unhappy and cause the wood in your bow to break when you needed it most. To Christians this is a superstitious attitude toward nature.

A Christian might also spare the tree but not because he is worried about the spirit of the tree or feels that the tree is his brother. The believer spares the tree because he is a good steward and realizes that God enjoys the tree He created. The tree is for man to use, not to waste.

(Genesis 1:28 KJV) And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Notice that we are to subdue the earth but also replenish it.

So? Enjoy nature, don’t worship it. Worship God through your enjoyment. Glorify God in his creativity if you are a scientist delving into the complexities. Praise God for his taste if you are an artist using it for inspiration.

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Followers

Bible Text

I prefer the NASB for my study but I will be using the KJV as the text I post. I do this because I do not understand the copyright restrictions. If I ever get a better grasp of the law I may change the text I list. We may be under grace rather than law, but others are not so free. My comments will try to make it clear what the differences are.

Greek and Hebrew

In the comments there will be reference to words and the original languages. Number in parenthesis, (1235), refer to the number from Strong's Numbering system.

An Invitation

The theme of this blog is devotional, worshipful, Biblical. I have a lot of ideas that won't fit in that frame so I have started another blog. It is called Medley of Worship.

You are invited to visit me there. It includes Bible and theology but also politics, education and anything else that comes to my mind.

About Me

I have been a serious follower of Jesus Christ since my senior year in high school. I am a Vietnam Veteran who came home more patriotic than I left. I am a graduate of Nazarene Theological Seminary and an ordained elder although I an not currently serving in a pastoral position. I have what I consider an orthodox faith set in the context of Wesley and Arminius. I share this so you will know where I am coming from as I look at the word.